Twelve years after Dhaos had been sealed away, a young swordsman named Cress Albane and his best friend, Chester Burklight, live in the town of Toltus. One day, while Cress and Chester are out hunting in the forest, the town is destroyed by a dark knight named Mars and his soldiers. Every villager is killed in the attack, including Chester's sister and both of Cress's parents. While Chester mourns, Cress vows for revenge. He decides he should flee to the town of Euclid, where his uncle lives.